SunBriteTV 4610HD, 46" 1080p Outdoor LCD HDTV

SunBriteTV 4610HD
46-Inch 1080p Outdoor LCD HDTV
Mike Marks
Most of our equipment reviews focus on the indoor home theatre environment, where lighting and climate are carefully controlled. For serious home theatre enthusiasts, this is our preferred
way to watch a movie. However, there are a lot of opportunities for
TV viewing in more casual settings. Someone with a pool might
want to catch a ball game while enjoying the summer sun on the
deck. You might consider moving a flat panel outdoors on nice
days and bringing it back inside when inclement weather threatens, but that would get old rather quickly. Some summertime
storms pop up so quickly that you barely have time to get yourself
back inside, let alone disconnect and haul a heavy HDTV in as
well. In these cases, a permanently mounted television outdoors
is greatly preferred. Most consumer-grade models are not
designed to withstand the elements. While custom enclosures are
possible to protect the HDTV, why not start instead with a model
designed from the ground up for outdoor use? This is where
SunBriteTV comes in. Their mission, starting in 2004, was to
design an HDTV that could stay out in the rain and withstand temperature extremes, dirt, insects, and UV rays. Their new Pro Line
4610HD outdoor television ($4,295) includes an air-flow system to
protect against extreme heat and an internal heater that allows
operation to -24 degrees F. Like their other outdoor HDTVs, this
model is 2D only and lacks Internet capability.
Overview
As soon as you remove the top to the box it is apparent that
this is no ordinary 46-inch LCD. That is further confirmed as you
feel the almost 87 pounds of weight when setting it up. This
model is built like a tank. With a slightly greater than 5-inch depth,
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Widescreen Review • Issue 173 • January 2013
we’re not looking at any candidate for the
thinnest model, either. What is immediately
apparent from the heavy, black-powder-coated finish to the oversized mounting screws
and gasketed rear panel input cover is that
this model is built to take whatever Mother
Nature throws at it, barring a tornado or hurricane. There is a second outer glass cover to
protect the screen. The front has an effective
anti-reflective coating that offers a dull matte
reflection rather than the glossy reflections
seen on many indoor HDTVs. With full room
lights on, I saw only a vague hint of any
reflections in the front.
Outdoor mounting options vary widely;
therefore, the unit is shipped without any
stand. A tabletop stand is available and was
my choice for review because I wanted to
easily move the TV between various lighting
conditions. While the HDTV can easily handle
being outdoors all the time in a Cleveland
winter, I’m afraid I cannot, so most of the testing was conducted indoors. Available mounting options also include an articulating wall
mount ($465), a fixed wall mount ($195), ceiling mounts ($425), or a pole mount (price not
listed). The HDTV loudspeakers come separately, and you must attach
them to the bottom of the HDTV before mounting. I was looking for a
separate bag of screws to attach the stand, but it turns out all of the
needed screws are already in the unit. Mounting screws were considerably larger and heavier than I’m used to seeing on indoor models,
again reflecting SunBriteTV’s care in designing a strong and secure
mounting system that can withstand windy conditions.
All inputs are in the rear, behind a hinged cover with a thick weatherproof gasket. Three large thumbscrews secure the cover once you
have made all of the desired connections. There is also a dust filter
built into the back, similar to a furnace filter, and the manual recommends checking and replacing periodically, depending on your usage
pattern and outdoor dust levels. A dust cover is available separately
and recommended for further protection from the elements when the
HDTV is not in use.
A side panel on the HDTV offers buttons for controlling the HDTV
without a remote. Buttons are available for menu, channel, and volume
control.
Remote
The remote differs from the usual HDTV remote by having a membrane over metal dome switch keys. Like the HDTV, it is weatherproof
and can be left outdoors in the heat, snow, or rain, although the
SunBriteTV representative told me that it is not fully waterproof and
should, therefore, be left at the side of the hot tub or pool rather than
taken into it. There is no backlighting. While I normally call a manufacturer out for this omission, it is definitely not needed for an HDTV that
will primarily be used for outdoor daytime viewing. You might find navigation more difficult, however, if you’re watching a late night game on
the deck after the sun goes down.
All keys are clearly labeled, but I would have liked to see the channel and volume keys a little larger and easier to find by feel. Instead,
they have the same round shape and size as the other keys. A small
red indicator LED indicates when a key press is registered, which is
helpful because the dome-switch keys do not have as solid of a tactile
feel as traditional rubber buttons. Reception of remote commands was
a little finicky, but that could be due to most of my testing being done
on the floor. The manual mentions that the HDTV uses Sony remote
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SunBriteTV 4610HD 46-Inch 1080p Outdoor LCD HDTV
codes if you are programming a cable box remote and cannot find
SunBriteTV listed among HDTV manufacturers.
Manual
The supplied manual is thorough and includes clear diagrams as
well as important safety notes specific to outdoor mounting. All menus
are illustrated with full-sized photographs of the screen. I would also
have liked to have seen diagrams illustrating the effect of each aspect
ratio on the picture for 4:3 and 16:9 sources.
Heating And Cooling
The HDTV enclosure includes an internal heater that activates
whenever the outside temperature is below 32 F and remains on until
the internal temperature is 42 F or higher. For this reason, power must
be available at all times when the HDTV is outdoors, even if it is not
turned on. The manual recommends bringing the TV indoors if temperatures below -24 F are forecasted, but only a few viewers in the great
white north need worry about those temperatures. Even Cleveland, well
known for our harsh winters, very rarely gets below -5 F. Cooling fans
take over when it gets too hot, and the unit is rated for temperatures up
to 122 F. Only our readers in Death Valley need worry about reaching
that extreme.
Connections
Unlike some indoor models that have up to four HDMI inputs, the
4610HD has only two HDMI inputs. There is a PC input, two YPbPr
component video connections, one composite video connection, and an
S-video connection. The S-video was a pleasant surprise; I have not seen
one on a flat panel HDTV for about two or three years. Digital coaxial
audio and a 3.5 mm miniplug for analog output are included. Antenna
or cable connections are made with the single F connector supplied.
Tuner Performance
With standard rabbit ears connected, I was able to easily receive all
digital broadcast channels in my area. This includes the weaker Fox
affiliate, which has caused problems in the past, but in this instance I
was reviewing the unit upstairs rather than in my below-grade basement. The scan process took about two to three minutes and a helpful
progress bar showed how much was remaining.
Adjustments And Test Pattern Results
A standard menu system allows access to the usual user adjustments of contrast, brightness (black level), color, tint, and sharpness.
Unlike many consumer LCD televisions, there was no “cell light” control, which adjusts the overall brightness of the picture. Careful adjustment of the brightness and contrast controls is necessary for the best
picture. The default brightness level of 50/100 is too high and shows
the below-black PLUGE bar on either the Accupel HDG-3000 generator or the Spears & Munsil test disc. It should be adjusted down to
about 38 or 39 for best results. Likewise, the contrast control has
enough headroom to lose a lot of white detail at the top end. I found a
value of about 63/100 to be the highest I could go without losing the 98
IRE bar into a pure white field. At this setting the clipping pattern of
Spears & Munsil still showed all of the steps for all three colors, so no
further contrast reduction was necessary. The sharpness control
appeared to have no effect, but I did not mind because no halos were
visible on the test patterns.
Five default picture modes are provided: Standard, Theater, Vivid,
Sports, and Custom. Once you make any changes to the picture controls, you have effectively selected Custom as the mode. I used
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Inputs – HDMI (2), Component (2), S-video (1), Composite (AV) (1),
VGA PC input (D-sub) (1), Antenna/CATV (ATSC/QAM/NTSC) (1),
L/R Audio Inputs (1)
Audio Out - TosLink Optical (1), Analog 1/8-Inch Headphone Jack
(1)
Features
46-inch diagonal TFT Active Matrix LCD Screen
Contrast Ratio - 4000:1
Frame Rate - 60 Hz
Viewing Angle - 176 °x 176 °
Response Time - 8.0 milliseconds
TV formats - 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i
RS232 Serial - Discrete IR Control, Concealed IR Window
Speakers - 20 watt detachable loudspeaker module
Input Power - 100-240 VAC, 50-60 Hz 2.8 A Max
Operating Temp -40° to 122° F. (-31° to 50° C.)
Non-op. Temp -40° to 140° F. (-31° to 50° C.) *
(O. -mode with power applied) The non-operating temperature
feature requires power to be applied
Weather-Proof Remote Control Included
Exterior is powder-coated aluminum in Black, Silver, White
Residential Warranty - Two-year parts and labor
Commercial Warranty - One-year parts and labor
Specifications
Dimensions (WxHxD) –
44.72 x 27.16 (29.33 with loudspeakers) x 5.24 (inch)
Weight – 86.8 lbs
MSRP – $4,295
Manufactured By:
SunBriteTV
2001 Anchor Court
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
866.357.8688
http://www.sunbritetv.com
Theater as the starting point for my adjustments. Adjustments are
made on a per-input basis.
Three default color temperatures are available: warm, cool, and
standard. Warm was the closest to correct at around 7800 K. A spot
check of cool and standard showed them to be considerably further off
at 11,100 and 12,600 respectively.
The luma and chroma zone plate patterns were excellent, with no
extra moiré on the sides. The multiple cadence test in Spears & Munsil
also showed excellent deinterlacing performance, with most patterns
achieving a stable lock within 1/10 second or less. Single-pixel multiburst patterns were also clean and sharp with the default aspect ratio
selected; there was no need to dig down into a menu to find a hidden
pixel-by-pixel mode to achieve the best detail.
White field uniformity was good, with the corners being only slightly
dimmer than the center by about 15 percent. What impressed me the
most, however, was the sheer amount of light available from the
4610HD. After suitably adjusting the brightness and contrast controls,
a full 100 IRE pattern clocked in an amazing 177 footLamberts (ft-L).
This would be totally blinding in a darkened theatre room, but when
competing with the sun and high ambient light outdoors, it is necessary. Even with this much light, the manual advises that the HDTV be
mounted where direct sunlight does not impinge on the screen. A
shaded area, such as under a gazebo or soffit, would be best.
The ANSI contrast ratio was about 890:1 despite the black squares’
level being a little high at around 0.2 ft-L. In a darkened room, the
black squares looked more grayish, but when I cranked up the lights
the picture got better. This is one television that looks better when you
throw more ambient light at it.
Gray Scale Measurement
I was able to measure the gray scale, but calibration requires a
service code, which was not supplied before the review deadline. The
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SunBriteTV 4610HD 46-Inch 1080p Outdoor LCD HDTV
Warm color temperature setting measured around
7800 K once I got above the often-difficult 10 to
20 IRE region. Given the consistency of the x and
y values from 30 to 100 IRE, I believe that I could
have substantially improved the gray scale accuracy if I had received the calibration access code
in time. Considering that the main application for
this HDTV is casual outdoor viewing rather than
critical viewing, I did not see the inaccuracy as
being a huge problem, but purists might want to
consider having the gray scale professionally
adjusted. The representative from SunBriteTV
mentioned that their models are optimized for outdoor viewing and offer fewer levels of manual
adjustment than typically found in indoor models.
Advanced Settings Menu
The Advanced Settings menu under picture controls is relatively
limited compared to most indoor HDTVs I have covered in the past.
There is no Film Mode control, for example, but the deinterlacing tests
of Spears & Munsil showed no problems in that area. There is a noisereduction setting as well as adaptive contrast and overscan (on or off).
The overscan setting defaults to off, and the adaptive contrast might
prove useful in the outdoor setting when the angle of the sun changes
throughout the day.
Aspect Ratio Control
The aspect ratio selections are found in the advanced video menu.
Choices include Wide, Zoom, Cinema, and Normal. Zoom expands
uniformly in both directions. Wide and Cinema appear to have the similar effects on a 16:9 source, Cinema zooms in slightly, whereas Wide
keeps geometry intact. Normal fits the picture into a 4:3 area with
black bars and is only useful if a 4:3 channel is being viewed. When an
HDMI source is being viewed, only Wide and Normal are available.
Observations
As I mentioned earlier, I found that the picture got
better when I had more ambient light. I would
have liked to try it outdoors under full sun, but as
any Cleveland astronomer knows, clear days (and
nights) between November and April are rare
indeed unless Lake Erie freezes over. Because our
weather did not cooperate with any sunny days
from the time I unboxed the 4610HD until press
deadline, I performed all testing indoors in my dining room, which has a variety of lighting options,
including dimmer wall sconces and a large, bright
overhead light.
An HD broadcast of the American Giving Awards showed good
shades of black and gray on the suits of the presenters. On a close-up
of the audience, I noticed the thin lines of a couple of plaid shirts were
clean and sharp. When fed a poor source, such as the low-quality
video during a Ford commercial, the 4610HD was unforgiving and
showed every motion and blocking artifact that was there to see. Finer
details, such as the hair or razor stubble on some of the recipients,
were good but perhaps a bit less sharp than the best indoor HDTVs
can do.
On a Blu-ray™ of Transformers: Dark Of The Moon, I again noticed
that more ambient light made the picture look better. With low lighting,
space around the moon looked more grayish than pure black, but
when I cranked up the room lights, the black looked better. Even with
full room lighting on, the details and shadows of the Cybertron combat
scenes popped out. The scene of the Apollo 11 astronauts exploring
the crashed ship showed fine details of the lunar surface and sharp
dust grains as they collapsed to reveal the robot face. Also, brighter
daylight scenes still looked clear and bright, with deep blue skies.
Letterbox bars also disappeared under bright lights, but were noticeably less than pure black if I kept the room lights low.
Conclusions
This is a specialized HDTV built and
designed for a single purpose––to look
good outdoors and be able to withstand the
elements. There are many other choices
that would be preferable for an indoor home
theatre, but for now SunBriteTV owns the
outdoor market. The lack of 3D support is a
non-issue; who wants to mess around with
glasses while chilling by the pool? Likewise,
the absence of smart TV widgets and
Internet capability does not really come into
play because I suspect most outdoor viewing would be sporting events or casual
movie viewing, and for these purposes the
4610HD excels. Under the brightest conditions I had available, I was able to enjoy a
bright, clear picture with good color saturation. I was also impressed by the quality of
construction and the attention to details
such as the built-in heating and cooling and
dust filtration. If you are looking to add a
quality video display to your outdoor entertainment area, then SunBriteTV deserves a
serious look. You’ll also get the satisfaction
of buying one of the few HDTVs actually
made in America. WSR
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